1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a media processing device for processing media such as CDs and DVDs in a specific way.
2. Description of Related Art
Media processing devices such as disc duplicators that write data to large numbers of blank CDs, DVDs, and similar media (also referred to as simply “media” below), and CD/DVD publishers that both write the data and print a label to produce finished media, are now widely available. Such media processing devices generally have a drive for writing data to the media, a printer for printing on the label side of the media, and a media transportation mechanism for gripping and conveying the media to the drive and printer. See, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-2006-202379.
Media processing devices such as described above have a stacker for storing numerous discs after they have been processed. A door that opens and closes for removing and inserting the stacker is provided at the front of the media processing device. This enables batch processing a large number of discs.
The user may also want to immediately remove a disc when processing is completed. However, if the user opens the access door to remove the processed disc after the media processing device has already started processing the next disc, user contact with other internal parts could cause a problem, and processing is therefore interrupted when the access door opens. Therefore, if the access door is opened to sequentially remove the finished media when a large number of discs are being batch processed, for example, processing is interrupted every time the door is opened. This increases the time required to finish processing all of the media.
In order to allow the user to sequentially remove media and to handle stacker overflow when the processed media stacker is full, another media processing device known from the literature has a media exit that slopes from inside of the media processing device to the outside. The media transportation mechanism can then drop processed media near the media exit so that the media slide down the slope and exit from the media exit. When the processed media stacker becomes full or media are to be removed sequentially, this arrangement enables removing the processed media without opening the access door.
However, when the media are conveyed to the media exit by sliding the media down a slope, the data side of the media can be scratched as the media slide down the slope, or can collide with other previously discharged media, resulting in damage to the data or the label sides of the media.
Demand for an easier way of removing the stacker has also led to drawer-type stackers that can slide horizontally in and out of the media processing device. A frame for guiding the stacker as it slides is incorporated in this type of media processing device. However, if this drawer-type stacker has been pulled out when the media transportation mechanism drops a disc at the stacker position in order to store a completed disc in the processed media stacker, the disc may drop into the gap between the frame and the stacker. If the disc drops into this gap and the stacker drawer is then pushed into the media processing device, the disc may be trapped or damaged, and could lead to mechanical failure of the media processing device.